Sheldon's Luncheonette dishes pricey diner staples

There’s a place for classic diner eats in our hearts — insert arterial plaque joke here — but the price has to be right. This two-location Springs standard surprises us when we easily break $40 for lunch and coffee for three, before tip. To be fair, the Virginia baked ham pleases. We get the hefty 8-ounce queen portion ($10.95, versus the 5-ounce, half-queen portion), which bears a notable pineapple flavor from its glaze. We order it with made-daily mashed potatoes under passable brown or cream gravy, rather than as a sandwich.

We also try an on-special hot pastrami ($10.95/queen), with generous peppery meat on mild German rye, made complete by brown mustard. Accompanying potato salad rates surprisingly refreshing. Chicken-fried chicken ($10.95) comes with crispy breading, though it’s a little light on seasoning, though that may be partially the fault of the ocean of cream gravy it comes in. For coffee ($1.95), avoid the chemical tang of the decaf (ours was from a fresh pot) and go regular for a serviceable diner cuppa.